The present invention relates generally to containers for retaining, protecting and displaying articles and methods for making such containers. In particular, the present invention relates to a container having an open top formed from corrugated paperboard material and useful in shipping and displaying perishable produce.
Flat sheets of corrugated paperboard, typically referred to as blanks, have been used for many years as the starting material to form produce containers. Corrugated paperboard generally refers to a multi-layer sheet material comprised of two sheets of liner bonded to a central corrugated layer of medium. Given a basic size requirement specified by the customer, industry standards, and the preference for low cost, paperboard container manufacturers strive to provide structural stacking strength with a minimal amount of corrugated paperboard. A typical well-known container is a single-piece tray design having a bottom wall, two side walls and two end walls each hinged to the bottom wall. Typically, a single piece of corrugated paperboard will be cut and scored to form a flat blank that will then be erected into this container.
Typical containers for the support and transport of food produce articles are corrugated containers having fixed configurations. These containers can be unstable when stacked and are conducive to toppling. Many containers are not durable and flexible enough to protect and prevent damage to the produce. Furthermore, the side and bottom walls of produce containers are susceptible to buckling and twisting, leading to damage to the produce.
A packed container of produce will generally hold a weight suitable for handling by an individual. Such containers will be generally rectangular and have a variable height dimension. Further, these containers will normally be stacked for transport and storage. The cost of labor, in the form of the time required to handle the produce and to assemble the shipping containers, can be significant factors in the overall cost of the produce. Many current produce containers can only be assembled by hand, a method that is costly and time consuming. Assembling paperboard containers for set-up by a machine where cooperating adjoining paperboard sections are adhesively bonded to form the produce container can reduce cost and time.
It is important in the production, distribution and sale of perishable and non-perishable articles such as produce that the articles are safely and conveniently stored for transport and safely and securely shipped for sale. Safe and secure storage and shipping is particularly a problem if heavy items must be placed in containers that are stacked upon each other. Stackable produce containers often acquire, for example, bulging side or end walls, deformed bottom walls or smashed corners that damage the produce due to, for example, the weight of or movement of the produce during shipment. Further, if the environment in which the paperboard container is shipped or stored is refrigerated, the moisture present in a refrigerated environment is likely to be absorbed by and weaken the container.
Once the produce reaches a retail destination, the produce container is normally placed directly on display for consumer sale. This allows retailers to preserve time and money by not having to transfer produce into an alternative selling container. If a produce container arrives to a retailer in a crushed or damaged state, however, the retailer usually cannot, for aesthetic purposes, exhibit the produce container. Furthermore, produce containers generally contain at least one or more visible panels that have not been painted or coated. Retailers that sell produce directly in the container that emanates from the grower usually do not, for aesthetic reasons, desire consumers to see unpainted or uncoated surfaces.
Vertically oriented corrugation fibers within a produce container are typically stronger and more secure than horizontally orientated fibers. Without structural rigidity, containers at or near the bottom of a stack of produce containers could buckle under the weight of the containers stacked above them. Generally, the end walls of a produce container contain vertically orientated corrugation fibers. Thus, it is preferable for the end walls to contain as few openings as possible. Optimal cooling efficiency, which enhances produce quality and shelf life, is also desirable. Cooling is achieved by including openings in each end wall to allow cool air flow from one end of the container to the other.
Accordingly, it is desirable to provide a container for transporting produce that is both durable and secure to prevent corrugation failure and produce damage, permits painting or coating or coating on all visible surfaces, yet allows sufficient air flow to achieve optimal cooling efficiency.
The present invention provides a stackable open-top container for use in shipping, storing and retail display of produce and other articles. The produce container of the present invention contains a bottom wall, two side walls, and two end walls. Each side wall contains two panels, each of which contains a mirrored curved score and two minor flaps. The curved scores cause the side walls to go into tension. The minor flaps of the side walls surround the end wall to increase structural rigidity